One crisis in Iraq has been averted after the current prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, agreed to step down and allow his chosen successor to take the reigns of power.

On Thursday, al-Maliki announced to the Iraqi people that he decided to step down and allow Haider al-Abadi to become prime minister, according to the Washington Post. Al-Maliki made his announcement on state television, standing with fellow members of the ruling Dawa party as well as al-Abadi.

"I announce before you today, to facilitate the functioning of the political process and the formation of a new government, the withdrawal of my candidacy in favor of brother Haider al-Abadi," al-Maliki said in his speech.

The 64-year-old had been prime minister since 2006, but in recent years, he has alienated many of Iraq's minorities, especially the Sunni, allowing for a group like ISIS to take hold, the Washington Post reported.

Al-Maliki had begun losing support from within his party and Iraq as well as among international powers. Reuters reported that both the U.S. and Iran supported al-Abadi's nomination in a rare show of agreement between the two nations.

"Iran supports the legal process that has taken its course with respect to choosing Iraq's new prime minister," the representative of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said. "Iran favors a cohesive, integrated and secure Iraq."

Shiite Iran had long supported al-Maliki's government but had grown weary of the advancing Sunni forces of ISIS, Reuters reported. Al-Abadi is from the same Shiite Islamic Dawa Party.

Before stepping down, al-Maliki had promised to sue for his place as prime minister, arguing that President Fuad Masum had violated the constitution by asking al-Abadi to form a government before al-Maliki, according to The New York Times.

However, this last attempt to hold on to power did not succeed, opening the way for al-Abadi. The Guardian reported that al-Abadi will face the complicated task of rebuilding Iraq and breaking down the sectarian differences created by his predecessor.

Now al-Abadi has 26 days to form a new government, since the Iraqi constitution gives a new prime minister 30 days to do so.

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